Groups want voting-rights renewal

Groups want voting-rights renewal

April 8, 2006

Tallahassee Democrat (FL)

Conference call gives examples of recent voter discrimination

With three provisions of the civil-rights era Voting Rights Act up for renewal next year, a left-leaning coalition is shining the spotlight on several states, including Florida , as proof that the anti-discriminatory measures are still needed.

In a conference call with reporters Friday, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and other groups presented a report by a University of Miami School of Law assistant professor that documents federal interventions in the Sunshine State over the past 24 years under the provisions of the 1965 law, which has been amended several times.

"A second generation of voter discrimination is alive and well in the nation," said Nancy Zirkin, deputy director of the Leadership Conference.

Renewal is important, especially at a time of polarized politics, Leon County Elections Supervisor Ion Sancho said.

"There's been a marked increase in efforts to interfere with African-American voting," said Sancho, who was not a participant in the conference call. He cited telephone calls to black voters in Leon County , giving them incorrect precincts during the 2004 presidential election as an example.

Zirkin acknowledged that the renewal likely faces "smooth sailing," with a bill expected to be introduced in Congress this month, despite some political opposition.

"It is bipartisan," she said. "But one never knows."

The renewal has the early support of Florida 's secretary of state, Sue Cobb.

"We have not discussed the specific provisions with the secretary," spokeswoman Susan Smith said, "but she supports the renewal of the provisions and recognizes the significant contributions of this legislation."

The Leadership Conference, which was founded in 1950, is partnering with several organizations - including the American Civil Liberties Union, the League of Women Voters and the NAACP - in the countrywide renewal campaign, which also includes reports of voting problems in New York , Alaska and other states.

The Florida report mainly looks at recent federal interventions under the provisions that are up for renewal next summer. Here are a couple examples:

* The Department of Justice in 1992 objected to Florida 's redistricting plan for the state Senate because it divided the politically cohesive minority population in Tampa and St. Petersburg .

* In 2002, the department filed suit against Osceola County , alleging that poll workers made hostile remarks against Hispanics and tried to discourage them from voting.

One of the provisions requires any change to the electoral process in five Florida counties - Collier, Hardee, Hendry, Hillsborough and Monroe - to get federal approval. Those counties were identified in 1975 because less than half of their voting-age population was registered to vote or voted in the 1972 presidential election, and because they used literacy tests only in English in areas where more than 5 percent of the population spoke another language.

That provision means that any statewide change, because it would automatically affect those counties, has to be cleared by the federal government.

"When the state of Florida passes a law that affects the electoral process," Sancho said, "the whole thing has to go to the Department of Justice for approval."

Another provision up for renewal provides for federal observers in cases of voter intimidation.

And the third requires counties with a significant Hispanic, non English-speaking population to provide bilingual poll workers, ballots and election material. In Florida, where almost 400,000 people live in households where no one is proficient in English, that's an especially important provision, according to the study's author, JoNel Newman, who is also special counsel to the Florida ACLU. That provision is the most controversial.

Earlier this year, 56 members of Congress wrote a letter to the head of the House Judiciary Committee stating their opposition to the minority language provision because it could "encourage the linguistic division of our nation."

"Immigrants," the letter states, "need to demonstrate the ability to read and understand English in order to become naturalized citizens."

But the groups who back the renewal dispute that.

"The reason why this language assistance is so important," said Lida Rodriguez-Tasseff, of the Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition, "is because the threshold level for becoming an American citizen is much lower" than the knowledge needed to vote.

* Contact Julian Pecquet at (850) 599-2307 or jjpecquet@tallahassee.com.

ON THE WEB

For a copy of JoNel Newman's report, "Voting Rights in Florida 1982-2006," go to renewthevra.civilrights.org and click on "reports."

Author: Julian Pecquet

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